Top 10 Deadly Train Accident in India

India is a big country, more than 125 crore people live here and use locomotive for daily purpose. The Indian Railways were founded in 1853. It is the fourth largest railway network and the eighth largest employer in the world. It is one of the busiest networks in the world and in 2015-16 carried 8,100 million passengers. The Railway Safety Commission is the railway safety authority of India and has been investigating railway accidents since 1961. Nowadays train accidents have become a very frequent incident. This train accident is very unfortunate in the era of technological progress. Here are the list of top 10 deadly train accident in India.

Top 10 Deadly Train Accident in India

10.17 July 1937 –

Casualties – 117

The list of top 10 deadly train accident in India starts with the accident of July 17 1937. An express train from Calcutta sank on an embankment near the Bihta station, about 15 kilometers from Patna. At least 119 people were killed and 180 wounded.

9.1956 – Near Mahbubnager

Casualties – 125

A bridge collapsed under a train between Jadcherla and Mahbubnagar, about 100 km from Hyderabad. At least 125 dead and 22 wounded.

8.28 September 1954 – Accident In Hyderabad –

Casualties – 139

A train crashed into the Yasanti river, about 75 km south of Hyderabad, when the bridge collapsed. 139 people died and more than 100 were injured. It remained one of the largest train accidents in India.

7.9 September 2002, Howrah-New Delhi Rajdhani Express –

Casualties – 140

At 10.40 PM Howrah-New Delhi Rajdhani Express derailed near the Rafiganj station between Gaya and Dehri-on-Sone stations, resulting in more than 140 deaths. Another railway incident that could be called as manual fault because the same track was considered weak and was of the British era. Heavy rain caused the crack in the track which was the reason behind the Rajdhani derailment running at 100 KM / H

6.23 December 1964 – Pamban-Dhanuskodi passenger train –

Casualties – 150

In the Rameswaram Cyclone (also known as Dhanushkodi Cyclone) the Pamban-Dhanuskodi passenger train was washed away killing all 150 passengers on board. Some say it was a season off that is why there were only 150 on board, otherwise this could have been more deadly.

5.28 May 2010 – Gyaneshwari Express train derailment –

Casualties – 170

An alleged attack by the Communist Party of India (Maoist) kills at least 170 people when the Howrah Kurla Lokmanya Tilak Gyaneshwari Super Deluxe Express of Mumbai was derailed by an explosion (or sabotage) between Khemasuli and Sardiha in the West district Midnapore at 1:30 AM midnight, and then hit by a freight train. This was one of the deadliest and largest train accidents in India.

4.26 November 1998: Khanna rail disaster –

Casualties – 211

Jammu Tawi-Sealdah expresses three derailed bogies of the Amritsar-bound Frontier Golden Temple Mail in Khanna, Punjab.The mail from the Golden Temple was derailed by the break of the train, and at the same time Jammu Tawi-Sealdah Express came from behind to hit the 6 derailed wagons.

The 3rd place to make it to the list of top 10 deadly train accident in India is Collision of Awadh–Assam Express and Brahmaputra Mail. 268 died and 359 injured in this collision near Gaisal, in the Katihar division of the North Frontier Railway. This is one of the biggest and deadliest train crashes in India. Brahmputra mail was carrying the Indian soldier and soldiers from Assam to the border while Awadh Assam express went Guwahati and was still at a station near Guwahati called Gaisal. Due to a manual fault signal error, Brahmputra Mail received green signal to continue forward on the same track. It struck Avadh Assam from the front express at 1:30 AM. The engine of the Avadh Assam was launched high into the air, and passengers of both trains were flown into nearby buildings and fields by the force of the blast.

2.20 August 1995: Firozabad rail disaster –

Casualties – 358

Collision between The Purushottam Express of Delhi and the Kalindi Express near Firozabad in Uttar Pradesh, which killed more than 350 people from both trains, is the 2nd deadly train accident in India. A manual error caused this great incident. The Kalindi Express brake was stuck after hitting a cow and was standing on the runway. At the same time Purushottam express was given permission to run on the same track. Purushottam express Kalindi express from behind that caused the disaster.

1.6 June 1981 – Bihar train disaster –

Casualties – 300-800

The first place in this list of top 10 deadly train accident in India is acquired by bihar train disaster. Near Saharsa Bihar, a passenger train crashed into the Bagmati River, which caused nearly 800 deaths. This is by far one of the worst train accidents in India and in the world as well. The cause of the accident is known as some say it was because of the cyclone, some say due to flash floods. The third reason is that while it was raining heavily driver suddenly a buffalo on the bridge and the sudden break caused the train to fall into the river.